KARACHI: Pakistan First — a popular slogan with the establishment parties — was put to question in a talk on Tuesday. There were two divergent explanations one coming from Gen (r) Moinuddin Haider, a former minister, supported by Javed Jabbar, a former senator, and the other by Justice (r) Shaiq Usmani.
At a time when people for most of the time fighting for issues not quite relevant to Pakistan, zealously discussing Afghanistan rushing towards Chechenya, Kosovo, etc. Gen. Musharraf advised them to first look towards Pakistan.
Gen Haider admitted that the conditions in Pakistan were not as bad as being painted by some. He emphatically said that the amount invested in the education sector was much more than it was spent on the army. There was only one university in Pakistan in the partition year while there are now 50 universities in the country.
Of what gain? Shaiq Usmani remarked. The degrees awarded by our universities are not given any credence abroad. About ‘Pakistan First’, he said, such idioms were coined in the past as well by the rulers lacking in legitimacy — basic or grassroots democracy by Ayub Khan, Islamic socialism by Bhutto, Pakistaniyat by Ziaul Haq and now Pakistan first by our present ruler.
Shaiq Usmani suggested that U-turn, as in case of Afghanistan taken by the government, should now be taken in regard to India. A policy presented by the governments for 50 long years brought only misery to the people of Pakistan, due to heavy defence expenditure.
Gen Haider agreed that things would have been much better had there been good governance in the country. But, not all the governments in the past were bad and not all the political leaders were corrupt. It is for the people to come forward, rectify things and see what can they contribute towards the betterment of the country.
Explaining his point of view, Javed Jabbar said that by saying ‘Pakistan First’, it did not mean the negation of Sindh and other provinces and, of course, the rights of the people. In reply to a question, he accepted the lapse on the part of the government by not bringing in the ‘Biharis’ from Bangladesh.
Ghinva Bhutto of Peoples Party (SB) rose from amongst the audience to complain that major decisions in policy-making were not made on the forums meant for them. She advised that the parliament in the matter of policy decision should be made more effective and powerful. — Hasan Abidi
